Creating+a+Mission+Statement

=Creating a Mission Statement=

[ Overview ]
Each time you are organized into a new team, you and your new teammates will create a mission statement for your team. Dictionary.com defines a mission statement as "an official statement of the aims and objectives of a business or other organization." Your team's mission statement should briefly explain what you plan to achieve and how you will achieve it.

[ Directions ]

 * 1) Start a new page in your interactive notebook titled "Mission Statement Development."
 * 2) On your own, answer the following brainstorming questions (using 3-5 sentences each) in your interactive notebook.
 * What personal goals do you currently have?
 * What goals do you think your team should set for itself?
 * How do you plan to accomplish your personal and team goals?
 * Who will benefit from the work of your team?
 * 1) Share your answers to the brainstorming questions with your teammates.
 * 2) As a team, develop a 1-2 sentence mission statement that incorporates your answers to the brainstorming questions. This rough draft should be written by all members on a single sheet of paper. Each member is responsible for physically writing words/phrases in the mission statement that derive from his/her brainstorming questions. (You may want to look at these examples, as well as CEC'sown mission statement -- but don't follow any of them too closely.) Consider the following guidelines as you do so:
 * Quality mission statements are **short** and **precise**;
 * They use **simple, clear** language that a young person could easily understand;
 * They describe **who** your team is (not necessarily in a literal sense), **what** you plan to do, **how** you plan to do it, and **why** your work/goals are important;
 * They explain your team's **distinctive competence** -- that is, what makes you uniquely qualified to fulfill your mission, what sets you apart from others;
 * They set a realistic standard by which the team can be held **accountable** every day.
 * 1) On your own in your interactive notebook, evaluate your mission statement rough draft by giving a "yes," "no," or "somewhat" to each of the following criteria:
 * The mission statement is realistic
 * The mission statement is clear and concise
 * The mission statement reflects our values and beliefs
 * The mission statement is powerful
 * The mission statement demonstrates a commitment to serving the good of our class community
 * 1) Share your evaluations as a team, then make any necessary changes to your rough draft.
 * 2) Using construction paper and markers, create the final draft of your mission statement. As with your rough draft, each member of the team must physically contribute to the writing of the mission statement -- each person's handwriting should be present. Be creative, and feel free to decorate/illustrate as you see fit. Include also a team name at the top of the paper and your team members' signatures at the bottom.
 * 3) Be prepared to share your mission statement with the class. Decide how each team member will contribute to the presentation of your mission statement (e.g. who will read what).

[ Requirements ]

 * All team members must contribute to developing and writing the mission statement.
 * The mission statement should follow the guidelines in steps four and five above.
 * The team must show a rough draft of the mission statement before beginning a final draft.
 * The final draft must be written on a piece of construction paper, and should be colorful, creative, neat, and professional in appearance.

[ Due Date and Grading ]
Your team's mission statement is due by the end of the period and is worth **100 points**. You will be graded on how well your mission statement follows the guidelines provided above, as well as your overall creativity and professionalism (i.e. the WOW rubric).

This activity is adapted from the following sources:
 * "Developing a Mission Statement." // Minnesota Department of Health // //.// Minnesota Department of Health, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <[]>
 * "Developing a Team Mission Statement." // Leadership-and-Motivation-Training.com. // Leadership and Motivation Training, 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <[]>